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Wednesday, 27 June 2012

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Drought issues and the call of duty

The scorching drought in Sri Lanka's dry zone districts should drive home the now familiar insight that this country too cannot escape the relentlessly developing global environmental crisis. Interestingly, the local drought coincides with the Rio + 20 world environmental summit which highlighted the need for, among other things, the greening of planet earth. Not so long ago, the world was warned by environmentalists that extremes in weather conditions could be an ominous sign of the severe environmental harm earth is suffering and this seems to be coming to pass the world over.

Hardly two years ago, torrential rains lashed Sri Lanka severely, leaving behind a trail of destruction. The country has hardly recovered from this trauma when today it is finding itself in the throes of a most vicious drought, which is making emergency relief operations essential in particularly our dry zone areas. These extreme changes in climatic conditions, we are told, point cogently to the dire consequences of environmental destruction, brought about by man himself.

While coping strategies need to be quickly evolved to meet this crisis, it is gladdening to note that President Mahinda Rajapaksa is quickly on to the job of providing relief for those hit by the drought, particularly our farming population. There are numerous inter-related tasks that need to be performed in double quick time, such as, provision of compensation and relief to drought-hit farmers, ensuring that they avail of a fair share of water for irrigation and drinking purposes and the rejuvenation of tanks and waterways. So wide-ranging are these chores that the 'Representatives of the People' cannot look forward to any prolonged rest from the labours that are expected of them at this crucial juncture.

Our front page picture yesterday of President Rajapaksa addressing a high-powered conference of ministers and officials helped convey the gravity of the drought and connected issues and highlighted the fact that the poor of the drought-hit areas need assistance very badly. In fact, almost the entirety of the state machinery would need to go to the assistance of the people.

President Rajapaksa lost no time in indicating to his administration the tasks that need to be performed and we hope that the affected sections of our people would be substantially succoured by their representatives in Parliament and other officials who are expected to serve their legitimate interests. There are widespread hardships in the dry zone areas and the degree to which these regions are being scorched by the drought is visible to the naked eye. Water is one of the most urgent of human needs and the relevant MPs and other officials would need to be present in the affected parts of the country almost continuously to ensure that the needs of the people are met.

In other words, MPs and state officials would need to answer the call of duty with exceptional alacrity from now on. The next monsoon rains are not round the corner and none in positions of authority could downplay the importance of fending for the people conscientiously, with whatever resources that are available. The gravity of the drought is conveyed by the falling water levels in our reservoirs and our MPs would need to live up fully to the images that the people usually have of them and go more than the extra mile to ensure that both, human and animal, make it through this grueling drought.

We need to 'revisit' these seeming home truths because the public perception is that the average MP and top public official are not doing enough to ensure the wellbeing of the people. The cynical-minded often question the readiness of our politicians in particular to help the people in their time of need, whereas, although at election time the politician waxes lyrical about his willingness to help the people, this is hardly seen in real life. The average citizen cannot be blamed for holding these perceptions because the politicians genuinely working for the public weal are very few and far between.

Therefore, the drought needs to be seen as a touchstone of the politician's and public official's ability to serve the people. Could these personnel go more than the extra mile on behalf of the people? Could they translate lip-service into concrete acts of help? The drought, then, has a positive side to it, in that it could be seen whether our 'public servants' could act in ways that will enable affirmative answers to be given to these vital questions.

Sri Lanka and its relations with India

My visit to Kerala is a manifestation of Sri Lanka’s desire to expand relations with the Southern Indian states and the primacy we have given in this context to Kerala. Sri Lanka and Kerala have had an age old relationship with vibrant people-to-people contact that is recorded in history.

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When compassion moves your soul…

Compassion moves us when we see others facing life’s toughest moments - and assures us that despite everything that’s wrong with this world, there are also moments of hope that assures humanity is not dead - not yet at least. For those of us who yearn to find that place of assurance, it is there.

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Opening doors, hearts and minds with social inclusion

The World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995 defined an inclusive society as “'a society for all’, in which every individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active role to play”. An inclusive society is equipped with mechanisms which accommodate diversity, and facilitate and enable people’s active participation in their political, economic and social lives.

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